Device to prevent the admission of water into the interior of the hollow shaft of a torpedo&#39;s propeller.



C. RADIGUER.

DEVICE TO PREVENT THE ADMISSION OF WATER INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW SHAFT OF A TORPEDOS PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1915.

1,154,206. 4 PatentedSept. 2-1, 1915.

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' valve which opened into 1 a PATENT CHARLES DIGUER, OF ST.-DENIS, SEINE, FRANCE, ASSl'G-lil;

FRANCE, A CORPORATION OF FRANCE.-

D EVICE TO PREVENT THE ADMISSION OF WATER IN'IQ T11] SHAFT OF A TORPEDGS PRO1EL........

IE ZRIOR 0F THE HOLLOW Specification of Letters Patent.

.;?atzented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed June 21, 1915. Serial No. 25,293;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES RADIG'UER, citizen of the French Republic, residing at St.-Denis, Department of the Seine, in France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Devices to Prevent the Admission of Water into the Interior of the Hollow Shaft of a Torpedo7s Propeller; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the. invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a device the object of which is to prevent, at the end of the operation of the torpedo during target firing, the admission of sea water into the interior of the hollow shaft, which serves both to transmit movement to the propellers and to exhaust the motive fiuid. In the majority of existing torpedoes, the rear end of this hollow shaft has a straight section at right angles to the axis of the tube, thus leaving uncovered, the exhaustorifice' through which sea water enters shaft and fills the torpedo before the latter has reached theend of its travel. This infiltration of water rendered cleansing and dismantling of all the parts after firing, indispensable. In order disadvantage, it has already been proposed t6 provide at the inner end of the hollow shaft, a valve seated by a spring and controlled by the pressure of the gases. This the interior of the torpedo, had the disadvantage that it required the use of a spring of considerable power in order to resist the strong pressure resulting from the immersion of the torpedo. Moreover, in cumbrance, this device had also the disadvantage of increasing the counterpressure since it did not permit of the exhaust of the motive fluid unless the latter was under a considerable pressure.

The present invention remedies all these drawbacks, by terminating the hollow shaft not with a gaping orifice, but with a closed cone or a pyramid the apex of which is rearwardly directed. On the lateral surface of the interior of the hollow to eliminate this addition to the increased enthe cone or of the pyramid, orifices covered in the inoperative condition by external valves, intercept communication between the interior of the hollow shaft and the surrounding medium. The fluid-tightness of the hollow shaft is thereby assured all the more, the greater the depth of immersion of the torpedo is, as the external pressure-acts on the valves and causes them to adhere to their seats. Furthermore, this arrangement does not involve additional encumbrance and is not susceptible of increasing the counterpressure produced by the exhaust fluid, in the slightest degree.

The accompanying drawing illustrates in vertical section taken on the axis of the torpedo, a portion of the rearend provided withthe device embodying the invention.

The end of the hollow shaft A nated by a closed cone/B. Openings C are is termiformed in the lateral surface of this cone which is also provided with valves D hinged at F and applied on to their seats bythe external pressure and suitable springs, these valves serving to insure the fluid-tightness of the openings G when the torpedo is submerged.

l" hen the torpedo is launched, the exhaust gases of the motor traverse the hollow shaft A, moving ina rearward direction. This shaft A whi h rotates under the impulse of the motor to which it is connected, operates the propeller H. The valves D which rest on their seats when the hollow shaft is stationary, open automatically under the effect of centrifugal force as they are integral with the hollow rotating shaft A. Extensions I are provided on the valves D in order to limit the extent of their opening. At the end of the operation of the torpedo, the hollow shaft A stops and immediately thereupon, the valves D come under the action of their springs. and of the external pressure; they are brought down on to the openings C the closure of which is thereby insured, preventing seawater from entering the in terior of the hollow shaft and coming into contact with thcinner members of the torpedo.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that What I claim is Device insuring fluid-tightness of the hollOW shaft serving for the exhaust of the m0- tive fluid of self-propelled torpedoes, characterized by the fact that the hollow shaft is terminated by a cone or by a pyramid provided upon its lateral surfaces, with 

